Surrealism in Egypt

In the thick of the Second World War the Cairo-based Surrealist collective Art et Liberte were pioneering new art forms and mounting subversive exhibitions that sent shockwaves across local artistic circles. Born with the publication of their Manifesto Long Live Degenerate Art on December 22nd 1938 the group rejected the convergence of art and nationalism aligning themselves with a complex international and evolving Surrealist movement spanning cities such as Paris London Mexico City New York Beirut and Tokyo. Art and Liberty created a distinct reworking of Surrealism which provided a generation of disillusioned Egyptian and non-Egyptian artists and writers men and women alike with a platform for cultural reform and anti-Fascist protest. Surrealism in Egypt is the first comprehensive analysis of Art and Liberty''s artworks literature and critical writings on Surrealism. By addressing the group''s long-lost and often misconstrued legacy and drawing on a substantial body of previously unpublished primary documents and more than 200 field interviews the author charts Art and Liberty''s significant contribution towards a new definition of Surrealism.Moving beyond the polarizing dichotomies of Saidian Orientalism this book rewrites the history of Surrealism itself - advocating for a new definition of the movement that reflects an inclusive vision of art history.